Spliced
by Nightingale Effect
Summary: A tangled web of lies has wound it's way around Ikebukuro and Izaya is determined to unravel it, but no matter what strand he follows he always ends up at the same man: Shizuo Heiwajima. IzayaXShizuo KasukaXOC
1. Prolog: The Calm before The Storm

Spliced

Prolog: The Calm Before the Storm

It was a normal day for the fortissimo of Ikebukuro. He woke up and put another dent in his alarm clock, as usual. He ate breakfast and fought with his abused toaster, as usual. He followed Tom around the city and beat up assholes, as usual. He chased Izaya across the city with a lamp post, as usual. Then to finish off his perfectly normal day he got some takeout from Simon's and headed home to flick aimlessly through channels.

But that's where things started to get a little more twisted.

His cigarette fell to the floor; scattering ashes as it rolled away from the couch, momentarily forgotten as he stared at the T.V. in shock. Had the day been perhaps too normal? Like the calm before the storm? Should he have seen this coming? He knew he couldn't have but in a small part of his mind he couldn't help but blame himself.

Quickly he reached into his back pocket to pull out his phone, flicking open the screen and staring at the buttons; unable to bring himself to dial the number. This had to be a joke. Yeah, that was it, he'd call his brother and in that monotone voice he'd explain to him that it was just a publicity stunt to create hype around the new movie. His brother forgot to warn him was all...

The screen on his phone went dark in the soft evening light as it made an attempt to save it's battery. He'd told himself it was just a joke, but still he couldn't bring himself to dial the number and learn the truth. He wasn't sure what he would do if it wasn't a joke. He wasn't sure he wanted to know about his brother's kidnapping.

The truth wasn't going to wait for him though, and his phone flicked on with a brilliant blue light, scattering dots across his vision as it vibrated urgently. Shizuo blinked the dots out of his eyes before seeing the name on the screen and sighing in relief.

"Oh, Kasuka, thank god..." He began, flicking open his phone, but another voice interrupted him, a voice that was not his brother's.

"Shizuo Heiwajima, we have your brother and if you want him back alive I suggest you listen to what I have to say..."

~.~.~.

Across the city in Shinjuku another man was watching the same news cast with a completely different reaction.

"Phhh~ haha! Namie do you see this? Oh! This is good! This is way too good!" Izaya squirmed on the couch, trying to contain his hysterical laughter as Namie as went about her organizing completely; indifferent to the whole situation.

"Oh, I can just see the look on the brute's face now! He must be devastated with his poor baby brother kidnapped." Izaya chuckled some more before flicking off the T.V. and moving to get up off the couch.

Whoever had done this had some serious guts and deep ties. Kasuka Heiwajima was not an easy man to kidnap. Izaya knew, he'd tried. Not only did the man have twenty-four-hour security but it was hard to find a moment in which that brute wasn't watching over his shoulder. Not to mention it was dangerous; Izaya was sure Shizuo was tearing the city apart brick by brick right now looking for Kasuka, and god forgive the poor sucker he found him with. In fact, Izaya was surprised he hadn't received a visit from the brute himself; he imagined he was at the top of the suspect list.

Izaya walked up to the window behind his desk and looked down into the street at his adorable humans; half expecting to see that familiar blond head pushing through them. But alas, it didn't seem he was going to receive a visit from his favorite play-thing anytime soon. Perhaps Shizuo didn't even know? The info broker let out a small puff of laughter at that idea; Shizuo was probably busy picking on some poor thugs right now, completely unaware of his bothers kidnapping. Or maybe he couldn't even work his T.V.? Now that would be a riot.

Grin plastered across his face, Izaya walked up to his desk and flicked his computers on; just because he didn't instigate the kidnapping didn't mean he couldn't hold it over Shizu-chan's head. Besides, he couldn't exactly call himself the best info broker in Ikebukuro if he couldn't find the culprit of one, messily, kidnapping now could he?

~.~.~.

It wasn't until late that night that Tom finally heard from his long time friend and current employ. He'd been trying to get a hold of him for the past four hours, after he'd heard the news about Kasuka, but none of his texts were responded to and every time he called he only got a busy signal. So it was with great relief that he flicked open his pone to find Shizuo's number displayed on the screen.

"Shi-" he began but was quickly cut off by the other man.

"Tom I need to quit." Was all he said, shocking Tom to the bone. Shizuo's voice was gravelly and course, as though he'd just been yelling, and his breath was coming out long and shaky. If Tom didn't know better he'd say Shizuo was trying to hold back sobs.

"Shizuo if this is about you're brother..." He began again but was silenced by a growl from the other end.

"It's not about him!" Shizuo cried angrily, "Well it is but...! Gah! I just can't come back to work Tom, it's better if you just forget about me!" With that dramatic statement the line went dead and no matter how many times Tom redialed it just went straight to voice mail.

~.~.~.

"Today fans around the world are morning the disappearance of the famous idol Yuuhei Hanejima." The T.V. blared at him from across the room but all he could see of it was the flickering blue light seeping through his blind fold.

"His disappearance was reported this morning when a neighbor found his door ajar and singes of a struggle with in." His breathing was quick and shallow as he tried not to gag on the rough material strung between his teeth. He tried chewing through it for the umpteenth time but his teeth weren't made for anything tougher then stake and his jaw still hurt from where it had been smashed into the floor the night before. Oh. how he wished he had his brother's ridiculous strength at that moment. Then he could just break the soft fabric binding his hands and feat and get out of this place; wherever this place was. If only Shizuo had been there the night before, then he wouldn't have even been in this mess. He felt anger building up in his chest but he screwed his eyes shut and forced it down. They were both grown men now and Shizuo had his own life to lead; he couldn't expect to have his brother there to hurtle a lamp post every time some crazed fan got too close.

"Police aren't releasing any further details at this time but they ask anyone with..." Kasuka heard sound of a door opening before the T.V. went silent, blue light still flickering before his eyes.

After a moment of silence a throaty chuckle filled the room causing Kasuka to with draw back further into the pile of silk pillows that surrounded him. "Your fans miss you Kasuka." The man's voice was mocking and cynical but Kasuka figured that was better then crazed and mindless. It made it seem less likely that rape was the motive for this kidnapping, though the bed beneath him was a rather negative indicator.

"Your brother misses you too. Won't you say hi?" Kasuka shot up at that; eyes straining to see through the darkness. If Shizuo was here it would only be a matter of seconds before he broke them both out. He felt the other man sit down on the bed and didn't resist as icy hands ran along his cheek, following the gag to where it was tided at the back of his neck and tugging it lose.

"Shi-" he rasped out before his sore, dry, throat sent him into a coughing fit. When he stopped he felt something hard and cold press against his bottom lip.

"Dink," his captor commanded gently, all the previous malice gone from his voice. Kasuka obeyed; greedily sucking down what he could only hope was water; feeling the ice cooled liquid burn his raw throat as it went down. When the cup was finally pulled away he started into another coughing fit; his mouth wasn't dry anymore but the new moisture stung his throat. He forced himself to a halt though when he heard the muffled sound of his brother's voice.

The bed creaked as his captor leaned across it, reaching for something at the other end. "Don't worry," His captor said, raising his voice as though he was trying to talk over something. "Your brothers perfectly fine Shizuo." The was a moment of silence when all Kasuka could hear was his brother's voice rambling on before his captor let out a sigh and the beep of a phone rang out, followed by a colorful string of curses.

"Shizuo?" Kasuka ask consciously and the swearing stopped, only to be replaced with a game of twenty questions.

"Kasuka? Are you alright? They didn't do anything to you did they? Where are you? Are they feeding you properly? Don't worry I'll get you out of there."

Kasuka took a moment to gage his answers before replying. His brothers concern was endearing but the panic that laced his voice did nothing for his own fear; he knew if he told Shizuo the whole story they'd just work each other into a panic. "I'm fine," it took all of his acting skills to speak in a reassuring voice, despite the uncertainty growing in his heart. "They're taking good care of me, but no, I don't know where I am." He paused for a moment taking comfort in the sound of his brother's breathing on the other end before making one, last, selfish request.

"Please hurry..." the words were spoken so softly, so lowly, that he wasn't sure Shizuo even heard them. It might be better if he hadn't, Kasuka knew that if his pain and fear ever became apparent to his brother he'd burn down the entire city looking for him. As much discomfort as he was in at the moment he didn't want his brother to get into anymore trouble then they were both already in.

There was another beep as the speaker phone was turned off and the man stood from the bed, walking towards the door. "There you heard it; straight from the man himself. Now we can get onto the real business..." The voice was downed out as the door clicked shut, leaving Kasuka alone with the flickering blue light of the television.

He sat in silence for awhile; letting his body relax back into the pillows as he tried to clear his head of all the horrible thoughts swimming through it. Then, slowly, Kasuka pulled his knees up to his chest and for the first time in years the idol began to cry. There were no eye drops this time, no special effects artist, no close up shots, just pure, heart wrenching, sobs.


	2. Chapter one: Missing

Chapter one: Missing.

Izaya stared at his computer meekly; he eyes were drooping, and his posture slouched, but inwardly he was boiling. Seven hours. Seven hours he'd been looking for leads on the kidnapping and nothing! Nada! It seemed no one the whole world knew anything about it; as if the organization that had pulled it off (Because it would surely take more then one person) were a group of ghosts. The popular theory on the internet was that he was taken by some psycho fan, and well that was plausible it seemed highly unlikely. He'd picked up a few more details though, some pictures of the crime scene, a witness testimony about a group of non-descript men going into the building, and reports that the room had smelled of chloroform. Nothing at all he could work with.

Another thing bothering him was that he hadn't heard a peep out of Shizuo. No one had for that matter; it seemed, defying all expectations the man had refrained from going on a rampage through Ikebukuro. There was no way he didn't know by now, even if he hadn't heard it on the news someone must have told him; Celty, Shinra, anybody. Could the brute know more about the kidnapping then he had thought? Or maybe the kidnappers had done something to him too? Izaya frowned, scrapping the idea; he'd just seen Shizuo that afternoon, surely the kidnappers wouldn't be so bold as to strike again so soon.

With a yawn Izaya let his eyes wander over to the clock at the bottom of the screen, cursing when he saw the time. This was stupid, and he sure as hell wasn't going to lose anymore sleep over Shizuo's problems, so standing up he switched off his computers and went to bed. But even there sleep evaded him.

It was noon before Izaya finely rolled out of bed; still tried but he'd managed to get some shut eye. Still, even as he was slowly brought into consciousness, thoughts about the case started running through his head. He had to be missing something, some vital clue. With a sigh he pulled himself up right and reached for his phone. He needed to get to the bottom of this or he'd never sleep again.

Dialing the number of one of his contacts he held the phone between his shoulder and his ear as he started pulling on some pants, letting it ring. After a few seconds there was some crackling at the other end before a deep voice answered.

"Hello?"

Izaya abandoned his pants in favor of holding the phone correctly lest he do something stupid well the other man was on the line. "It's Nakura," he said, using one of his many pseudonyms, it wasn't really necessary but he didn't really want everyone to know what he was poking his nose into. "I want some information on the Heiwajima case."

There was a long pause at the other end before the man spoke again, "I don't have anymore info then what they broadcast yesterday; really strange business that is. Rumor has it that it was pulled off by some high end gang."

Izaya chewed his bottom lip, nothing but rumors; at least it was a place to start. He was about to hang up when another question popped into his head. "And Shizuo? The older Heiwajima? Has anyone heard from him since the broadcast yesterday?"

This time the response was immediate. "Yeah actually, everyone's been giving him a wide breath since he's expected to crack any minuet now, but he's been standing outside Sunshine 60 smoking like a chimney since six this morning."

Izaya frowned. Since six? That was along time to just be loitering around for no reason. "And he's still there?"

"I don't know. I could check if you want but..."

"No, that's fine." Izaya cut him off, "I'll go myself."

And so, ending the call Izaya went about his next challenge; getting on some pants.

~.~.~.

Shizuo sighed looking at his watch again for what felt like the hundredth time. They weren't due to meet until one but he'd been so obnoxious he'd been unable to just wait around at home. So forcing a bagel into his churning stomach he'd headed out to the designated meeting place. He hadn't slept the night before and his eyes felt heavy but his mind was wide awake.

It was so frustrating! Heaven knows what those creeps were doing to Kasuka well he sat around smoking. He was starting to wonder if the kidnappers had set the meeting at such a time just to rile him up.

"Shit..." He swore plunking down on the steps heavily and grabbing two fistfuls of blond hair. He was fairly sure at this point he'd inhaled more nicotine then oxygen but he still couldn't calm down. Then, as though god himself had declared war on Shizuo he found himself staring at a familiar pair of shoes. His eyes moved upward to a familiar pair of pants, then to that girly, furry, jacket before landing on that stupid, mocking, grin.

"Your face makes me sick." Shizuo stated blandly, too tired and distracted for his usual show of chasing the other man around the city. If Izaya had appeared a few hours ago making an attempt on his life would have been an almost welcome distraction but, as it was he was due to be picked up any minuet now and he couldn't risk missing his brothers captors to chase the stupid flea down the street.

"Oh Shizu-chan I'm hurt!" Izaya whined stepping back a few paces; expecting Shizuo to fallow. When he didn't Izaya continued his mocking, wondering how much poking it would take to get the man away from his roost of the last several hours. "And here I was coming to express my deep concern over the disappearance of my favorite monster's little, baby, brother."

This got Shizuo's attention but he still didn't move from where he was seated. Instead he tried to kill Izaya with his stare. The informant felt a shiver run down his back at the positively wilting look Shizuo gave him. This wasn't Shizuo's usual rage induced glare; this was malice of the deepest kind, the look a man gave someone only when their entire world had been ripped out from under their feat. It wasn't anger that tinged Shizuo's features today, but desperation. "What do you know about it flea?" Izaya barely even caught the words they were spoken so lowly.

"N-nothing at all~" It took a moment for Izaya to pull his eyes away from Shizuo's but when he did he returned to his usual mocking voice; dancing around until he was standing behind the other man, trying not to let on that he'd been effected by Shizuo's stare.

"I wonder where he is right now. Being molested by some crazy fan? Or maybe he's already at the bottom of Tokyo bay." Izaya knew he was going way over the line and was surprised when a few seconds later his head was still on his shoulders. Shizuo hadn't moved; the only sine that he'd been effected by Izaya's words at all being the concrete cracking beneath his fists.

Izaya hopped up to sit on the rail, watching Shizuo curiously. If he hadn't been thrown into a rage yet he must be waiting for something really important, but he couldn't know that much about his brother's kidnapping or else he wouldn't have ask Izaya about it. Maybe he was waiting for someone who did know? Izaya just had to hear this conversation.

"Oh, so tame today." Izaya pointed out, noticing Shizuo relaxing slightly now that they were off the topic of his brother. "Who are you waiting for? Your girlfriend?" He followed the question with a mocking laugh. "No, no, silly me; no one would ever love a monster like you."

Shizuo was shaking with anger as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a cigarette; snapping the first one in half and being forced to retrieve another. "It's... None of your business louse... so just... buzz off." He spat in between long drags of his cigarette.

Izaya cocked an eye brow; he'd seen Shizuo smoke before but never well talking to him. Usually the man was in to much of a rage for that. In fact this was the longest conversation they'd shared in quite some time. He shrugged at Shizuo's comment, he'd find out who he was waiting for soon enough. A few more minutes passed like that; Shizuo trying to asphyxiate himself on cigarette smoke and Izaya just watching patiently for the moment of truth.

A black car with tinted windows pulled up in front of Shizuo and out stepped a man who look as though he'd been pulled straight out of a James Bond movie. His sunglasses flashed in the afternoon light as he pulled the rear door open revealing another man who could have very well been his twin.

"Shizuo Heiwajima." He said in an expectant voice, and an understanding seemed to pass between the two men. Snuffing out his cigarette Shizuo stood and headed towards the car and in an automatic reaction Izaya stood and took a step forward as well, but the man holding the door turned his head towards him and brushed a hand over his breast pocket causing Izaya to notice the lump hidden there. The message was clear; take another step and get a bullet through your brain.

Izaya froze and simply watched as the man shut the door behind Shizuo before slipping back into the passenger seat. The car idled for a moment but Izaya couldn't see anything but the barest outline through the tinted windows. Then just before the car began pulling away Izaya watched wide eyed as a familiar blond head pressed against the window before sliding down; an action Izaya could only guess was caused by the ex-bartender going unconscious. Quickly, as the car moved away Izaya whipped out his phone and snapped a few pictures of the retreating license plate. They were blurred and small but it was nothing some image editing software couldn't fix.

Izaya watched the car retreat and wondered for a moment if he shouldn't grab a taxi and tail it, but he scrapped the idea; it looked like it would be dangerous to follow Shizuo with out getting some information first.

He shook his head staring at the blurry images on his phone; what in the world had Shizuo gotten himself mixed up in now?


	3. Chapter two: Spliced

Haza! First review! Extra long chapter just for you.

Okay, bye!

* * *

><p>Chapter two: Spliced<p>

Shizuo woke up with a groan; he felt awful, like he was waking up with a bad hangover except worse. His head was pounding and if he didn't think he was about to be sick he probably could've drunken a liter or two of water. He struggled to get his eyes focused on the surrounding room, but every time he opened them his head started to spin. His skin felt hot and sticky and it chafed against the mettle cuffs that held him in place. He was sitting on some kind of makeshift chair that was formed by a large piece of wall protruding out under him. His legs were held to the bottom of it by his ankles and his upper arms being held against the wall behind him forcing him into a sitting position. He wasn't happy that these weird people were trying to restrict his movement but at least he wouldn't fall over this way.

When he'd gotten into the car earlier (it was hard to tell how much earlier as there were no windows or clocks in the room) the man sitting in the back with him had explained that, before proceeding, Shizuo had to take a mild sedative. He'd agreed of course, figuring it was to help calm his nerves and keep him from ripping the poor man's head off, but it seemed when these people said 'mild sedative' they actually meant 'horse tranquilizer'.

He was still trying to hold his head upright when he heard the sound of a door opening from across the room. "Ah! You must be Shizuo then. I've heard a lot about you, it's so nice to finally meet." He'd been expecting, when he go here, to meet the owner of the voice he'd heard over the phone but this one was completely different. It was more like a squawk well the other had been a purr. Shizuo winced a little as it increased the pounding in his head.

By the way the man had said that it seemed to Shizuo that he wasn't the first one to be bolted to this wall. Though, really, it wasn't that much of a surprise.

Shizuo forced his head up again and had just enough time to see an old man in a lab coat coming towards him before his neck muscles gave out. "Wha- wha'd jou give meh..." he slurred past a heavy tough. His voice sounded weird in his own ears; as though he was listening to someone else talk.

"Just a mild sedative."

_'bullshit.'_ Shizuo thought but didn't comment.

"We can't have you tearing around here braking all the equipment now can we?" Shizuo saw the doctor's legs come to stand in front of him and felt the man's gloved hand on his neck. When he realized what was happening he tried to pull away but the restraints held him firmly in place.

"Ah, shit..." he slurred again as he felt the needle sinking into his neck. It was weird not to feel rage bubbling up in this situation but he was just so out of if he couldn't bring himself to do anything other then swear half heartedly. As the doctor injected the concoction into his neck Shizuo felt his body start to go numb. Well, that scrapped his chances of lifting his head again, but at least it was doing something for the pain and nausea.

"Sorry about the lack of hospitality," said the doctor walking out of his line of vision. It bothered Shizuo slightly that he couldn't see the doctor but there wasn't much he could do. "But I'm sure you understand. Are you comfy there? We could put you on the table if you like, but I thought you'd be more comfortable sitting up." It was true; though sitting increased the nausea and he could feel a kink in his neck and bruises on his arms forming he felt more comfortable mentally this way. Shizuo didn't like the thought of lying prone in front of this guy, and well in his current state sitting wasn't much better, it at least it gave him a little sense of dignity.

"Fine..." Shizuo said weakly shaking his slumped head as best he could.

"I though as much." Shizuo listened to the man's dress shoes click against the concrete floor as he approached him. Upon coming into Shizuo's line of sight he knelt down and looked up into his face. "I'm doctor Shiratori, it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

His face was kind enough; he looked like your typical physician, gray haired and balding slightly, with a heavily creased brow and laugh lines around his mouth. But something sinister shone in those eyes sending chills down Shizuo's spine. He had to remind himself that this was for his brother; if he could just survive this they'd both go home and never have to look back.

"I've heard you only know the slightest details of why you're here so I'm going to explain the procedure and what to expect from it." Shizuo only gave a grunt in response; he didn't really care about the procedure at this point. In fact it might be better if he didn't know at all.

"Have you ever heard of 'splicing' DNA? It's a popular concept in the Science Fiction genre now a days." Shizuo nodded his head weakly; he thought he could remember a movie coming out about it the year before.

"It's a process in which animal DNA is mixed with that of a human, creating a sort of hybrid, and, well, it's not so much since fiction anymore. Of course work like this has to be done under the table; human rights and all that, but if we succeed in what we're trying to do it could change the course of medical history."

The doctor stood and paced back across the room, then a second later Shizuo heard the sound of metal hitting against mettle. "We've done this procedure before but none of our previous specimens have been strong enough to undergo the vast changes that take place. But you, my dear Shizuo, are a special case; your body's high recovery rate and endurance should give us just enough of an opening to not only make this experiment work but further progress our understanding of it." If Shizuo had enough energy to fear for his life he would've but at that moment he was using all his mental strength on reciting his new mantra.

_'It's for Kasuka, it's for Kasuka, it's for Kasuka...'_

Shizuo heard the sound of wheels rolling across the concrete and tried to look up but his neck muscles refused to budge. So he was forced to stay there, waiting for whatever crazy idea the doctor had in mind next. Luckily the doctor didn't seem to want to cut him open right there but apparently that was a good enough excuse to employ more 'mild sedatives.' They were probably going to overdose him on meds before they even got to the experiment.

An oxygen mask was put in front of his face and though he tried to hold his breath, in his body's current relaxed state he couldn't manage much more then what his body did naturally on its own. "I need you to take deep breaths for me." the doctor sounded as though he was talking through a tube as more of the gas slipped into Shizuo's system. "I'm going to put you out now Shizuo, and when you wake up again you'll be a new man..." Shizuo's vision blurred and faded, taking the doctor's soothing voice with it.

~.~.~.

Izaya stared in confutation at his computer screen; he'd traced the license plate on the car and come up with some curios results. Despite that fact that it was a Japanese plate it traced back to an address in New York City, an address that didn't exist. The person whose name it was registered under as well seemed to have existed just long enough to sine the papers before disappearing off the face of the planet. He scrolled through the profile he'd hacked from the registry office one more time but it seemed the only thing written in it that even had the slightest possibility of being true was that it was registered to somewhere in New York, and it was more then likely that information was just there to throw people off. Whoever had taken Shizuo hadn't taken any chances; a lot like the people who had taken his brother.

The crime scene had been wiped clean by that point but not a lick of positive evidence had been found; not a finger print, not a hair, not even a speck of dirt had been left behind by the kidnappers. It really was starting to seem like Izaya was dealing with a gang of ghosts at that point.

He sighed leaning on his palm and shaking his head, just what he needed; the undead mafia.

Kasuka's company had put a huge reward on any information leading to the idol's safe return so it wasn't for lack of effort that the kidnappers hadn't been found. All his contacts were out scouring the city in search of leads, but to no avail. Izaya was starting to think that maybe he should just sit back and wait until the brut reappeared and question him on the incident. Izaya had no doubt that even if he was being held against his will Shizuo would find a way out. Or, more likely make one, but that was all minor details. So forcing the little nagging voice in the back of his brain down he went about his other work, though all the little tasks various people of the underworld had set out for him were starting to seem mundane and trivial after this whole mess.

A day past like this; Izaya typing steadily at his computer, only occasionally going out to meet with sources or shove down some food, then spending the night searching for recent information about Shizuo. Then that day turned into two, then three, and by the fourth day he was going absolutely crazy. No one had seen hide nor hair of Shizuo since he'd gotten into that strange black car. It was rumored online now that he'd been taken with his brother, though the police weren't investigating as Shizuo had warned his land lady he'd be away for an undisclosed amount of time and had quit his job.

When Izaya went poking around further he'd found that the electricity and hot water had been turned off and all perishable food items had been cleaned out of the fridge and cupboards of Shizuo's apartment. The blond had known he was leaving that day when Izaya saw him at Sunshine 60, and he'd known he was going to been gone for awhile. So why not tell anyone of his destination? If he was going to go save his brother why not warn someone so he'd have a back up plan at least?

It seemed that the mystery was growing deeper and deeper as the minutes ticked by and Izaya was not about to wait around and let it get over his head. Picking up his phone he dialed one of his contacts and paced in front of his desk while he waited for her to pick up.

"Hello?" The familiar voice drawled. He hated being in contact with the same people over and over again but he didn't have much choice if he wanted to work all the angles.

"Any word on the Heiwajima case yet?" They all new him by his voice now; his next job after this mystery would be to find some new contacts.

"Same old, same old." The voice was young but raspy from years of smoking and drugs. Izaya had singled this girl out specifically for her ties with several crime families in Tokyo, it would be shame to let her go.

Finally out of exasperation Izaya decided to follow the one unlikely lead the license plate had given him. "What about American gangs? Have any Americans been particularly active recently?"

The girl clicked her tough on the other end causing Izaya further annoyance, "Not recently but..."

Izaya growled in exasperation, "Any thing? Anything at all?"

The girl let out a snort of laughter. "What's got your panties all up in a bunch? Calm'er down and I'll tell you."

Izaya sighed sitting heavily in his computer chair and holding the bridge of his nose where a head ache was starting to form; he knew he was getting too wrapped up in this case but it was starting feel like a personal insult. Not only had these people pulled off a high end kidnapping with out leaving the slightest trace, but they'd snatched his favorite toy right out from under his nose. If Shizuo was going to suddenly disappear and never come back it was going to be by his hand god damn it.

"It's been pretty quiet 'round the city lately but a few months back some stuck up American bastard was offerin' big bucks to anyone who would try out this new procedure. None of 'em ever came back though. I can tell you where they were workin' from but they've cleared out by now."

Izaya shot up at this; pulling out a note pad and pen. "Perfect! Give me the address and I'll send a check to your account." Finally this case was going somewhere. He couldn't say where exactly or even if he was on the right track but it was better then nothing.

~.~.~.

Pain, pain, everything was pain, and darkness, and screaming. Was that him screaming? Shizuo couldn't tell anymore. Images flashed through his head but he couldn't tell if they were dreams or reality. The men with masks; the men with masks were always there poking and prodding with their cold metal tools. Were they tools or fingers? Shizuo couldn't say, and then there were those moments, those horrifying moments when pain would rack his body and he would look down to see it twisting and turning in unnatural ways; completely separate from his conscious will. Then the smell; it seemed to coat everything like cough syrup; heavy and sweat. Why had he come here? Or had he even come here? Maybe he'd just been born into this nightmare; strung together by those cold metal fingers.

It hurt, it hurt so bad. Why wouldn't anyone stop the pain? From far away he could hear his own voice screaming for it to stop, but no one ever listened. Was anyone even out there anymore? Maybe he was dead. Maybe it was just him and this pain for the rest of eternity. Maybe this was what hell felt like.


	4. Chapter three: The Monster Stirs

Computer died today, good thing I backed up this chapter on the internet.

Chapter three: The Monster Stirs

The building was on the outskirts of Tokyo; looming over a small suburb menacingly. It wasn't a large building; just two stories but the air it gave off was forlorn and solemn. A new chain link fence topped with barb wire had been built around it; probably by its last owners but that was the only addition that had been made in some time. It was in desperate need of a new coat of paint and Izaya wouldn't be surprised if the roof leaked.

He ran his hand along the fence looking for the place the local kids had told him about; creepy houses were to teenagers as a flame was to a moth. He stopped upon finding the section they had clipped open and pulled it back; it took a bit of effort but eventually Izaya found his way past the sharp bits of mettle that seemed determined to stick to his coat. At one point someone had boarded up the doors and windows to protect them from the elements but those boards now lay strewn across the ground; bent nails pouring from them like crocked teeth. Izaya walked around the apartment building surveying the damage; all the windows on the bottom floor and a few on the top had been broken but other than that it had escaped unscathed.

He'd done some research before coming here but wasn't able to find anything on the buildings current owner and the last had been inconsequential. The people who had been using it up until a month ago had moved out but were yet to make an attempt to sell it. Izaya wasn't sure if that was because the house still contained something they, needed or if they just didn't want to bother. The locals said the owners had been reclusive, keeping to themselves and never going into any of the local shops or restaurants but traveling daily into Tokyo. It wasn't clear how many people had stayed in the apartment building; some said there was up to a dozen of them and others said only four or five. There had always been one black car in the driveway at any given time, but sometimes a white van would stay for a day or two and others a second black car would sit out front.

At the front of the building Izaya found that the door was still partially boarded up but the local kids had told him that they'd cleaned up a broken window and entered through that, so he continued around.

When he slipped past the sill he found himself in a small apartment cleaned of its contents. It consisted of three rooms; a bed room, a kitchen/dining room and a bathroom. All the appliances that could be moved had been, leaving lighter spots on the floor where they'd protected it from years of wear and tear.

The hallway was fairly simple; five doors, two on each side and one at the far end leading to the front entrance. Izaya checked the other rooms but they were all in pretty much the same condition with the exception of a few obscene spray paintings or scattered cigarette butts. The kids had told him that it had smelled like disinfectant when they'd first entered the building but all Izaya could smell was smoke, paint, and in one room, to his mild disgust, sex.

Finding nothing on the ground floor too suspicious he went up the rickety stairs to the top floor finding it pretty much untouched. He could smell the disinfectant up here; it was hospital grade and covering every surface. He couldn't tell if it had been used well the last owners were here to keep things clean, or after to cover something up but it was certainly suspicious, not the kind of thing Izaya would expect to find in an apartment building. He'd found a small opening in the ceiling of one of the apartments and after dragging up some boards to stand on he'd pushed it open and crawled up. Opening his cell phone for light he was disappointed when he found the space only contained tightly packed insolation.

The sun was starting to set by that time and Izaya wondered briefly if he shouldn't come back to explore the basement later but his curiosity got the better of him and he wandered down anyway. On the stairs down Izaya noticed a strange sweet sent on the air, and, upon opening the door at the bottom the scent became so dense that he had to cover his nose and mouth with his coat sleeve to keep from gaging. If Izaya had to describe it he'd say the sent was heavy; it weighed on his chest and stuck to his tong. It wasn't as if the air density was any different, it wasn't moist, or dusty but the sent it's self seemed to cling to everything like some sort of invisible goo making the hair stand up on the back of his neck and his stomach churn. The basement was vast and dark and Izaya almost turned back so he could get some better lighting but he'd already come this far and Izaya was not about to run away from a little dim lighting like some five year old kid.

The floor was concrete, he noticed running the light of his cell phone in front of him to be sure he didn't step on anything, it was stained in places by some kind of liquid but what exactly Izaya couldn't say. He also noticed a few scratches as if something heavy had been dragged across it. There was a warm draft coming from the far end of the room and as he ventured in further the door creaked closed behind him. He could feel his heartbeat in his throat and hear the blood rush through his ears in the smothering silence of the room. Taking a steadying breath he ventured towards the closest wall; running his hand along it, taking comfort in the solid feeling. There were places along the wall filled in with new plaster where the walls that had separated the space into apartments had been broken down. Izaya tapped along them mainly to distract himself but he heard nothing but solid wall. The deeper into the basement he went the louder his heartbeat got and though he felt like a child lost in the woods he forged onward refusing to give into his fear. It was silliness really; it was highly unlikely that there was anything scarier than him down there.

After what felt like miles Izaya could finally see the far wall with the light of his cell phone. He stood for a moment just studying it; it was all new plaster, slapped in place sloppily and cracking in places as though it was going to fall apart at any minute. The smell was so thick here Izaya was practically choking on it and his stomach was threatening to add another stain to the concrete floor.

He took another step toward the menacing wall and then, darkness.

~.~.~.

Shizuo woke up slowly to the gentle feel of sun on his face; he blinked his eyes open temporarily disoriented before he realised was staring at the ceiling of his own bedroom. Had it all been a dream? He relaxed back into his pillows; content to believe that theory. He'd almost fallen back into a comfortable slumber when his phone went off on his bedside table.

"Stupid thing…" He reached over and was surprised to feel a burning in his muscles as if he'd just done some intense exercise. It'd been a long time since he felt that burn, as there wasn't much he could do that his muscles weren't already use to. When you get to the point where you can throw vending machines across the city there isn't a whole lot more room to grow.

Ignoring it for now he plucked his cell off the table and pried it open with one hand, bring it up to his ear slowly.

"Ello?" He asked lazily just about ready to drop the thing and go back to sleep. His body felt dead tired and he wasn't about to argue with it. The chuckle on the other end did a good job of waking him up though and suddenly he remembered why he was so tired.

"Good morning Shizuo," It purred, "Or maybe I should be saying good afternoon." Shizuo glanced at the clock and realised he was right; it was a little over half past one.

"I feel like shit." He told the voice, feeling that stating his displeasure would be better than asking questions he didn't want to know the answers to, leaving room to cause more. The man chuckled again and Shizuo could practically hear the cocky grin on the other end causing him to grit his teeth.

"Ah, yes well that's to be expected, but not what I called to talk to you about. Reach into your breast pocket would you? It should be behind your cigarettes. Nasty habit by the way; you should really quit."

Shizuo gave an audible growl and did as the man asked, surprised to find he was back in his bartended uniform. "I'll quit smoking when you quit kidnapping people."

"Oh, touché."

In his pocket behind his pack of cigarettes Shizuo found a plastic blister pack containing four small pills. "Mkay... you gonna tell me what these are for?" He asked eyeing them warily; he'd never liked pills much.

"Your Splicing was a tremendous success..." The man started causing Shizuo to frown and reach up to the top of his head and behind his back, expecting to find ears or a tail or something but he still felt like the same old Shizuo, just a little tingly and sore.

There was that laugh again, annoying the hell out of him, "You'll only notice minor outward changes for now." Shizuo looked around his room suspiciously.

"Are you watching me?" He asked slightly alarmed but the strange man on the other end simply dodged the question with another chuckle.

"The genes we mixed with your DNA are lying mostly dormant for right now but those pills you're holding will activate them."

"If you're watching me I swear to..." He started angrily, sitting up quickly but lay back down with a hiss when a sharp pain shot up his torso. He pulled down his sheets and unbuttoned his shirt well the other man continued.

"Ah, ah, ah, don't move around too much or you'll rip open your stiches. We tried to make the procedure as none invasive as possible but you started to react negatively to one of the chemicals so we were forced to preform surgery." Shizuo stared in shock at the long stitched up wound running from the top of his chest straight to his abdominal. It looked like their idea of 'non-invasive' was kind of like their idea of 'mild sedative'. At least they were consistent.

"You'll still be feeling the effects of the changes for the next few days but when you start feeling better try one of the pills and see how you react. If you let it melt under your tough it will enter your blood stream faster but they can be swallowed too."

"And Shizou," he started seriously, "never take more than one every twenty four hours. Compensation for the procedure has been deposited in your bank account, I'll contact you again in a week or so."

Shizuo shot up again; this time putting his weight on his elbows, being careful not to bend his torso too much.

"Comp-" He started but the line was already dead. He didn't want compensation he wanted his brother! Growling deep in his chest he leaned all his weight on one elbow and flipped off the far wall; almost hoping the bastard had installed cameras.


	5. Chapter Four: Making Progress

_Wow um… long time no see…_

Chapter Four: Making Progress

Izaya pressed his back against the wall of the shower trying to make his muscles relax, it was easier feeling the solid wall behind him, but with that awful smell sticking to him like glue it was hard to let the incident go. He hadn't gotten much sleep the night before, even after he finally made it back to his flat he'd tossed and turned it his bed with the smell clinging to his senses. Every distant motor revving sounded like moan of some ghastly monster, and every passing car a ghostly breath. Nothing had happened really, but he couldn't shake the feeling that there had been something in that basement, something that didn't want him going any further, or maybe something that didn't want him to leave.

He'd stumbled his way through the disorientating darkness, and though looking back on it he'd probably only been down there a few minutes it felt at the time like he'd been down there for hours bumping around against plaster walls, looking for the exit. He'd found it eventually of course, sitting innocently where it he's left it, and had stumbled out just in time to catch the last retreating rays of sun.

He'd left the building and that town as fast as possible after that. Too spooked by the experience to stick around, but weirdly enough when he'd checked his phone after coming out it had turned back on. No dead battery, no blown circuit, but also no memory. It was as if someone had simply pressed the reset button on it, reverting it back to it's original settings and deleting all his data. He'd even hooked his computer up to it afterwards and went looking for traces of residual memory but as far as the phone was concerned there was no trace that he'd even owned it, nothing to show it had ever been used.

He'd called and asked the service provider about it but they were even more confused then he was, there was nothing to show that the data had been erased and nothing to prove it was ever there.

Izaya gave a sigh as the water grew cold; he'd used every body wash and shampoo at his disposal and yet he still couldn't get rid of that infuriating smell. He supposed the only option at this point, short of bleach, was to wait for it to wear off. Turning off the taps he wrapped a towel around his waist and headed off to his room planning to pull some clothes on and go back to his real, paying, work but as he was pulling his shirt over his head that stupid phone went off; its default ringer clawing at his ears.

Storming over to it he took a second to gather himself before picking it up.

"Hello~" his voice sounded overly cheerful and obnoxious in his ears but the person on the end didn't seem to notice, or if they did, they didn't care.

"Hey, I got some news on that Shizuo guy you want it." This caused Izaya to perk up a little, though there was a small part of him that inwardly died. He needed to get to the bottom of this, but he did not want to go into any more creepy basements any time in the near future. Next time the creepy house on the hill needed investigating, he was sending someone else.

"Go on..." Izaya encouraged the brat flippantly.

"He's at my dad's café; smiling as if someone's shoved a rainbow up his ass." His tone was reproachful and slightly dismayed. "It's kind of creepy actually..."

Izaya ignored the last comment, what kind of mood the brute was in didn't matter much to him, he was just relived he'd finally reappeared. "Give me the address."

~.~.~.

After finishing making obscene gestures at the wall Shizuo found himself wide awake and hungry; really, really, hungry. Looking at his phone he suddenly regretted emptying his fridge and cupboards of their contents; he'd only been gone five days. His milk wouldn't have even been near spoiling. He sighed getting up out of bed and pulling on some clean clothes, not bothering with a shower despite the fact that he smelled like death. He did manage to stop long enough to brush his teeth and look in the mirror to examine himself for changes.

The most prominent one was his eyes; they had changed from their usual honey brown to a light gold and if he looked closely at the roots of his hair he could see where it had grown in brown and then, underneath, there was a light blond coming up. He grunted in approval at this change; he wouldn't have to spend money on hair-dye anymore at least. He also thought maybe his toes were longer but they weren't something he usually examined so he couldn't say for sure.

As Shizuo walked down the street looking for a decent place to eat he noticed that his sense of smell had been amplified slightly making his stomach jump every time a car drove by, and that he could see further than he use to. It wasn't anything substantial, more like getting over a cold or trying on a new pair of glasses, he was kind of disappointed really; all that hype and he didn't even have super powers.

He reached into his pocket for his cigarettes and jumped a little when the pack of pills came out with it and tumbled to the ground. He stooped to pick them up and examine them. They were small; about half the size of an average pain killer and sickly yellow in color. He rolled the end of his unlit cigarette in his mouth for a moment before popping one out of the package and bringing it up to his mouth and liking it, bringing back a flood of memories.

The memories of the days he'd spent in the lab were few and far between; brief flashes of concerned or placid faces, clear plastic tubes pumping mysterious liquids to and from equally mysterious places.

But this taste, he remembered this taste, it was accompanied by a sense of dread, an unexplainable fear that something bad was about to happen, that someone was watching him, waiting. He stopped pulling it away from his mouth and looking around; grounding himself in reality before popping it into his mouth and dry swallowing it quickly. He stood for a moment; waiting for something to happen but when nothing did he put his cigarette pack and the pills back in his pocket lighting his cigarette with slight confusion.

Was the pill faulty? Had the experiment not worked? He blew smoke out of his nose in annoyance before continuing on his way. He supposed it didn't matter much so long as he got Kasuka back safe and sound. But still was that really all that was going to happen?

He'd already seated himself and ordered in a small café before the changes started to occur. It started as a feeling of paranoia; suddenly every chair scraping across the ground, every clink of a glass, was an enemy. His head whipped around as someone stood up behind him; ready to defend himself if they got to close, but it was just a happy couple enjoying a date and they left with out even glancing his way.

It took a moment for the paranoia to pass but when it did an even more freighting sensation came upon him. His heart beat quickened as he was overwhelmed by a world of noise and movement. Everything seemed crystal clear in that moment but at the same time blurred together as his brain struggled to process it all. He could feel the breath of the man sitting across the room; taste the wide array of food cooking out back. He could hear the water flowing in the sewers deep beneath the city streets and see every speck of dirt, every fiber of his table cloth. It was maddening and he was left sitting in a stupor unable to pull enough of his brain away from the sensations to move his own body. He felt trapped, not even his mind would listen to him as it shot off in a million different directions, trying to analyze each new sensation. It was freighting and yet surreal but when it was over, and his mind finally caught up with his senses he was left with an overwhelming sense of power.

It was as if he was seeing it in color for the first time; his mind recognized everything around him but at the same time it all seamed new and beautiful. He studied his hands; examining every wrinkle and crevice; noticing for the first time a slight yellowing on his fingers from where he held his cigarettes. His eyes jumped up as he saw his waiter coming toward him carrying a try of food and he couldn't help but smile as he appreciated his beauty in a whole new way; the slightly darker flexes in his big brown eyes that made them look deeper, clearer, more like a gem stone then an eye. The way his hair caught the florescent light highlighting every strand, he could smell him; the very slight saltiness of his sweat as he moved through the hot café, but most of all he could smell the food he was carrying and suddenly it was the best thing he'd even smelt.

His mouth was watering as it was set down in front of him and he was already shoveling it into his mouth before the waiter even had a chance to finish speaking. Not that what he said mattered, Shizuo ignored his feeble attempt at small talk in favor of shoving the eggs and toast into him as fast as he could. He was focused on them totally, the crunch of the toast, the soft texture of the eggs; it was heaven. The flavor overwhelmed his senses and he was suddenly lost to all the little sounds and movements that had had him so on edge only moments before. Finishing the dish all too quickly Shizuo ordered another and asked the beautiful people if he could see the menu once more.

He was waiting for his third order and drooling over the pictures on the menu when Izaya finally caught up with him. Shizuo sensed him the moment he entered the café dragging his attention away from the menu; not even noticing when his soup was set down in front of him. He saw that coat, that cocky grin, and everything was red, everything was anger. How dare that flea, that retch, come on to his territory. He warned him, he'd told him not to come but still...

Shizuo was up ripping past tables before he could even register the movement, Izaya's mouth moved but he couldn't understand what he was saying. People leapt away from him as he pushed through them, unmindful of their pitiful attempts to get out of his way. He was halfway across the room before Izaya had slipped out the door, if it wasn't for all these tables, these stupid, slow, moving people...

And then he was outside, feeling his muscles bend and flex under a new power he hadn't felt before. He didn't even need to see him; he could track Izaya simply by the stink the stupid flee let off, his eyes had barely enough time to register that stupid furry coat before he was on him; slamming them both into the concrete.

Izaya gasped as he was slammed face first into the ground, ripping a gash in the side of his face; stray pebbles sticking in the blood that leaked out. He felt unexpected panic hit him as he struggled to get out from under Shizuo's crushing grip. This wasn't right; the brut shouldn't even be out of the café yet. When he'd seen the usual rage cross Shizuo's face he'd been planning to just spit out a few taunts to riel him up and then disappear before Sizuo was even out of the café. What had gone wrong? Was it possible that the brute was actually moving faster then the brake neck pace their chases usually took, or had Izaya gotten slower? Both options seemed exceedingly unlikely.

Izaya struggled in the bruising grip trying to get away, when that failed to work he craned his neck around; trade mark smirk plastered on his face. Maybe if he taunted Shziuo he'd get angrier and slip up? But his smile faltered when his eyes landed on Shizuo face.

He'd been expecting to see anger there but nothing like this; never before had the term 'monster' fitted the brut so well. His face was twisted up in anger, the mid day sun etching then lines deeper as his face crinkled around cat like eyes; glittering like liquid gold with pupils constricted to pin points of anger. His nose was scrunched up in a way that reminded Izaya of an angry dog and Izaya watched in shock as a sadistic sneer was pulled back to reveal a set of glistening fangs. Not teeth but fangs, if he wasn't lying directly beneath them Izaya would have laughed at the change, joked that they were fitting for such a monster, but laying at their mercy he had to struggle just to keep the hitch out of his breath.

His eyes widened as he watched that powerful jaw unhinge before Shizuo lurched towards him; madness and hunger dancing in his eyes.

Shizuo stared and the body struggling beneath his grip the smell of fear seeping into his nostrils and intoxicating him like a drug. That's all Izaya was to him at that moment, he wasn't a mammal, or a person, he wasn't Izaya, he didn't have a name; he was flesh and blood and bone. He was the heart beat and warmth and smell that absorbed his senses completely. He didn't move for a bit; just watching that body struggle beneath him, reviling in his feeling of power and superiority he had over this creature. He let the sound of the heart beat penetrate his ears like a throbbing base and sucked in the sent of the blood seeping from the scratches caused by the fall and running just beneath the skin.

And then that neck with all its throbbing veins and taunt muscles crinkled and the head craned around and he felt elation as those fear filled eyes stared into his own. His mouth was watering and he could no longer tell if the throbbing in his ears was his or that of the creature beneath him, everything was getting faster, louder, more intense. Overwhelming his mind and letting his instincts take over as his mouth pried it's self open, tasting the fear radiating off the other man and then surging and locking onto the junction between Izaya's neck and shoulder with a sickening crunch.

He felt blood seeping into his mouth; sweet, and warm, and wrong, so, so wrong. Someone was screaming, who was that? Was it that person from the nightmare of steal fingers he'd had hours before? Was it just hours or had it been years? He felt his teeth readjust with another sickening crunch creating a fresh burst of blood but this time that sweet taste made his stomach churn as another cry cut through that throbbing base and sent his mind spiraling back into reality. Someone was struggling beneath him, his teeth buried in their shoulder, he was hurting them. They were shouting but he couldn't understand, he couldn't understand anyone, he felt hands on his back as someone tried to pull him off but his grip was too strong; bruising, no, crushing the slight body beneath him. If he didn't let go now he was going to kill them, if he didn't let go now that soft warm flesh was going to turn cold and waxen... He scrunched his eyes shut and forced his body to relax ignoring the taste and elating sent that made him want to shut his mouth tighter and rip the moist flesh from it's place.

Fist his jaw relaxed and his teeth slipped from the torn flesh causing the screaming to die to raged panting and then he relaxed his hands watching as the figure slipped out from under him, and then in moments the smell was gone. The throbbing was his own heart, he realized, as it died down allowing him to hear the collator of the people around him as they stood staring in shock, taking pictures and whispering amongst themselves or scrambling away before the cops came or Shizuo decided to turn on someone else. He ignored them in favor of staring down at the spot the other man had been, watching the small pools of blood that hadn't been caught in his mouth glisten in the sunlight.

He'd almost killed Izaya, not that that was much of a surprise, but he almost eaten him, literally, and he'd enjoyed it. He enjoyed his fear and his struggle to get away, and most of all he'd enjoyed the taste of blood on his tongue. He could still taste it in his mouth; sticking in between his teeth but now it tasted coppery and bitter. He ran his tongue up over his teeth and then down over his lip as if confirming it was really there. Could it be that he really was a monster?

Shizuo jerked away when a cell phone was stuck in his face, ignoring the text in favor of blinking up at the shiny black helmet as Celty stared down at him curiously. Usually he loved talking to the dulahuan; she was one of the few people he really could talk to but right now that was the last thing he wanted. Even if they did talk Shizuo wouldn't know what to tell her; he haddn't the faitest clue what was going on, what was happening to him, why anyone would even want to splice him with an animal in the first place and thing seemed to just be getting more complicated by the second.

Shizuo stood, disoriented for a moment before taking off down the street. He didn't have any answers but he knew someone who did.


	6. Chapter five: Stolen

_So I'm not sure… Should I continue writing about Kasuka or should I just have him pop in when he becomes important to the plot? He's hanging out with all my OCs and I know that can be a turn off sometimes…_

_I've got to flue so the editing in this chapter might be worse the usual. If it gets too bad just complain and I'll go back through it._

Chapter five: Stolen

Kasuka had been free of his bonds for several days now, just sitting in his room and watching reruns; an activity he'd never had time for previously. He felt pathetic, like some damsel in distress waiting for his brother to come save him, but he'd tried everything he could think of to escape on his own and failed every time. He was getting pathetically thin despite the fact the he was well provided for; his meals were excellent; all his favorite foods, but he couldn't bring himself eat more than a few bites as depression weighed heavy on his mind.

The man who'd been talking to his brother earlier came in a few more times, but after Kasuka's physical and verbal assaults he seemed to have given up all forms of communication. Kasuka tried to convince himself that this was for the better but the truth was that he was becoming infinitely lonely in the small apartment. And so when the door crept open it was with a small amount of joy that he found himself looking upon the face of his captor. He would never admit it though, and quickly curled onto his side; refusing to look the other man in the eye.

He was a tall man; obviously foreign with light green eyes and dirty blond hair and he held himself with confidence as he strolled up to, and sat down next to Kasuka, despite his previous retreats.

"Not going to attack me today?" He asked with humor lasing his voice causing Kasuka to curl up further. There was a sigh of concern before the other man stood up and paced the room. "I need you to start eating Kasuka." All the humor left his voice and Kasuka could feel the other man's eyes on him from across the room but he ignored him. Kasuka did not negotiate with terrorists.

There was a long silence and the actor started to feel his muscles tense from being in the strange position for too long, but he didn't dare move lest the other man see it as a sign of defeat. "You know I could just tie you down and put you on an IV drip, but that wouldn't be pleasant for either of us."

Another pause and then Kasuka heard footsteps coming across the room before a harsh hand gripped his shoulder rolling him, despite his best effort to stay still, onto his back. "Look at me Kasuka!" He shouted and the idol's heart leapt to his mouth. He was almost certain that these people had no intention of hurting him but if they did he'd be powerless to stop them. It was that feeling of powerlessness that was the most terrifying part of this whole situation.

After meeting Kasuka's eyes the man only growled in further frustration, grabbing his wrist and pulling him off the bed. Kasuka tried to struggle against him but he was weak form lack of hunger and the movement only made him swoon.

"See what I mean?" His captor asked, wrapping a hand around his waist as Kasuka slumped against him. "You're only hurting yourself like this; you can't even stand." Kasuka stayed silent as he pushed away from him; standing on shaky legs if only to prove the other man wrong. His captor only snorted at his feeble attempt at rebellion and held his wrist tight; leading him towards the door.

"Okay then; while you can still move we'll bring you to the lab and get your IV set up." When Kasuka didn't budge he turned back to him; an eyebrow raised. "Do you want me to…?"

"I'll eat," Kasuka bit out past his quaking pride, "I'll eat so…" The hand released his wrist and though Kasuka's eyes were on the floor he knew the other man was smiling.

"I do hope you're a man of your word Kasuka." Was all he said before retreating out the door once more.

That night Kasuka ate until he was sick; bitter remorse turning the food to sand in his mouth.

~.~.~.

When Shizuo arrived home it was to find a message from an unknown caller on his machine. It was possible that it was nothing; a wrong number or a telemarketer but Shizuo had a sinking feel it was his brothers kidnapper. He stared at the blinking light for a while, not sure he wanted to hear what the man had to say, before his curiosity finally got the better of him and he pressed the button.

There was a moment of just static from the machine before the voice started up. "I heard you tried out the pill already?" The voice was smug but Shizuo could hear the slight annoyance lacing his words.

"It's a bit soon but I suppose this only speeds up my plans. In several days you will receive a package from me with further instructions; I suggest you use the time until then to rest up." There was a pause and Shizuo thought the man was about to hang up before he added, as if on a side note; "And try not to draw anymore unnecessary attention to yourself." With that there was a click and Shizuo was left in the silence of his apartment.

The effects of the pill didn't wear off until the early evening, leaving the world feeling slightly gray afterwards. Around the same time the police called; questioning him about his disappearance and that of his brother, they were simple questions and Shizuo lied to every one of them. Telling the police about these people now was bound to only bring him more trouble. Kasuka was already in enough trouble as it was without pressuring his captors with the threat of being caught. It would be better to just take care of this himself.

~.~.~.

At the same time, while Shizuo was talking to the police Shinra was getting an even bigger earful with Celty and his new patient, Izaya double teaming him with strange tales of Shizuo's new strength. And he had to admit; for a moment, only for a moment, Celty almost had him believing in the existence of aliens.

~.~.~.

The next week was shear torture for both Shizuo and Izaya; one jacked up on pain killers waiting for his shoulder to heal and the other miserably awaiting word from his brothers kidnappers.

Izaya had sworn off the Kasuka case, saying that he couldn't care less what Shizuo did but still continued to record information on it, saying that it was his job. The truth was he just couldn't let it go.

Shizuo considered asking Tom for his job back, if only to have something to keep his mind off all the waiting, but he didn't really want to risk getting the man mixed up in all of this, and the money the kidnappers had left in his account was more than enough to pay for his current life style. So he worked on getting his body back into its peek physical condition just as the man had suggested; exercising every day and watching as his scars diapered at even more of an alarming rate than usual.

As it was by the time a large unmarked box appeared on his door step Shizuo's wound had faded to nothing but a pale line.

He dragged the box into his house without question the morning he found it; a bit surprised at how light it was despite its size, and ripped it open. The first thing he found inside the box was a mask with the face of a fox; like something someone might wear to a costume party or a festival. Perplexed he dumped the rest of the contents onto the floor hoping for a note or some clue as to what this was all about. After shifting past a heavy leather coat he got them both in the form of a small black box which contained two silver hand guns and a note relaying his next instructions.

He frowned down at the guns in the early morning light wondering to himself how long these people were going to lead him around by his nose, and when, if ever, was he going to get Kasuka back.

~.~.~.

It was nineteen minuets past eleven and Kouta Shikamaru was just finishing off work; all he had to do now was deliver the papers and he could go on a much needed vacation.

Getting the formula for the new drug had been hell; with all the other companies competing, also not all of them played nice. But things had calmed down a bit and he felt at ease as he stepped out of his office; brief case handcuffed to his wrist, and two armed guards fell in beside him. They were the companies best; managing to chase off every would be assign so far, and with only hours to go until the formula switched hands he wasn't expecting anything more.

The car was waiting in the underground parking lot, engine idling as the usual drive waited patiently in the front seat. It was all so familiar; a routine he'd practiced day in and day out for three years now and with the added notion of his upcoming vacation he couldn't help but close his eyes and just listen to the soft rumble of the motor as the car pulled out of the garage and began to tear down the street.

It was half past eleven when the car stopped but it didn't stop in the leisurely, practiced, way Kouta was used to. No, the only warning he got was his driver's exclamation of surprise before he heard the thunderous roar of bending metal and the smell of burning rubber permeated the air. Kouta felt his seat belt digging into his chest as the car came to a sudden halt and his eye squeezed shut with terror and pain. What had happened? Had they got off the road? Had someone run into them?

He first blinked open one eye, and then the other to survey the damage. The driver was out, possibly dead; slumped against the air bag and what looked to be a street lamp was protruding in from the broken wind shield, bent metal bunched up around it making it apparent what was the cause for their sudden halt.

The guard to his left groaned and Kouta turned to look at him.

"Are you all right Sir?" The guard asked as he straightened in the seat and undid the buckle. Kouta reaching to do the same as he opened his mouth to respond but the words were cut off as the sound of bending metal once again filled the air.

Kouta watched wide eyed as the door was easily removed and a leather clad hand reached in and tore his body guard from his seat. There was a grunt from outside, and the sound of a body hitting the ground before a smiling, white mask peered in at him.

Kouta's heart was in his throat as he scrambled backwards and attempted to shake the other guard awake but to no avail.

"St-stay back…" He stuttered reaching back and pulling out the gun from the holster at the guard's hip as the mask slowly inched closer, but before he even got a chance to aim the gun was snatched from his hand and he found himself staring into piercing yellow eyes.

He thought for sure in that moment he was going to die, so it was of little consequence when there was a slight pressure on his wrist and then a sharp click. His panicked body was frozen stiff as he stared into the animal like eyes, but fate had other plans for him, and so, finishing his job the man in the mask retreated back out of the car once more and was gone long before the police arrived, and long before Kouta even had a chance to realize the documents he'd worked so hard to get his hands on were missing.

~.~.~.

"I want Kasuka." Shizuo growled being sure to pronunciate every word so the idiot who's shirt he was clutching could understand him properly. The hotel room was already trashed as testimony to his previous attempts to get his point across but still the idiot wouldn't listen.

"L-listen, I'm just the messenger…" The man attempted to reason with him, only proving to increase his irritation. Shizuo threw him against the far wall causing the gaudy picture that hung there to fall and shatter. If he hadn't been so pissed off Shizuo would have been wondering why no one had come in to see what was going on yet; his current victim certainly was.

Shizuo stepped forward planning to further his interrogation when his cell phone went off. There was a moment when the ringer was the only noise in the room as Shizuo contemplated simply smashing the thing, before he pulled it out and answered it.

"What?" he snapped angrily into the mouth piece, not in the mood the deal with any bullshit. Luckily the voice on the other end wasn't either.

"Please stop beating up my men." A familiar voice groaned in obvious dismay. This distracted Shizuo just long enough to give his victim a chance to scamper up from the wall and scurry out the door.

"Then give me back my brother." Shizuo replied as he stared after the man, feeling like maybe, he was finally getting somewhere. The man's answer though was far from satisfying.

"Shizuo, you know, I'm a big fan of your brother, and it would be a real shame for anything to happen to his…" Shizuo didn't hear anymore as the phone was in pieces in his clenched fist. In fact he was so pissed off about the man's words that it wouldn't be until several hours later that he was coherent enough to be pissed off about having to buy a new phone.

~.~.~.

The incident was in the papers the next morning, and simply from the lamp post protruding from the middle of the street Izaya had no doubt that it was Shizuo's doing. Well he'd made a point to stay away from the brute, at least until his shoulder was done healing, Izaya couldn't help but wonder what had pissed him off so bad this time. Of course there was nothing in the paper about the illegal documents that had been stolen, as far as the news was concerned it was simply a random incident, but it didn't take much digging to find more detailed information on the case.

It was curious to be sure; Shizuo had always been a bit odd but nothing like this. Besides punching a few faces in he'd never gotten overly involved with the underground so why start now, and why like this?

Izaya stood from his computer, flinching slightly as the wound on his shoulder made its self know. At this point directly taunting the brute seemed a bit too risky, but that didn't mean he couldn't do a bit more digging.

Though he rarely went there Izaya had filed away Shizuo's address long ago, and so pulling it up quickly he smiled. Hopefully this would give him some answers.

"No time like the present~" Izaya said to himself in a sing-song voice as he pulled his jacket back over his arms before skipping out the door. This wasn't for Shizuo's sake, or even because he was involved; it was simply Izaya's job.


End file.
